Chelsea flop Scolari joins Rivaldo at Uzbekistan 'giants' Bunyodkor

09 June 2009 05:40

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Former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has been appointed as the new coach of Bunyodkor, as predicted by Sportsmail last week.
The 60-year-old, who was dismissed by the Blues in February afterbarely six months in charge, has penned an 18-month contract, Bunyodkorannounced on their official website.
Scolari had hoped to stay in London, where he lived since being sacked by Chelsea, but failed to find a suitable vacancy.
He takes over from fellow Brazilian Zico - who left the club in December to take up the hot-seat at CSKA Moscow.
The one notable name in his squad is Rivaldo, now 37, who is a year into an astonishing £80,000 a week,four-year contract with club. He was part of Scolari's 2002 WorldCup-winning Brazil team.
He was signed after the club failed in a £15million bid to sign Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona last summer.
The ambitious club, formed just four years ago, have their eye on winningthe Asian Champions League, which is a route to the Club World Cup andan international audience.
Scolari has previously worked in Asia, with clubs in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Japan, as well as the Kuwait national team.
'Uzbek football now creates its own success story, especially Bunyodkor with its remarkable dynamism and prospects for the past four years,' said Scolari.
'Completion of a new football stadium in the town of Tashkent,which is scheduled for March 2010, will open a new era for the club.
'I know that I am in the right place at the right time and in the right team.'
But he has not ruled out a return to Europe when his contract ends. He has also previously stated he would like to finish his career at his hometown club Gremio in Porto Alegre.
Bunyodkor won the Uzbek league and cup double last year and also reached the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League.